Holidays are meant to be memorable, but when your dinner menu never changes from year to year, it can be hard to distinguish one celebration from the next.
This is not to say that you give up on your traditional turkey, but there are different ways to prepare it. Why not give the oven a break, get out of your hot kitchen, and use your BBQ to prepare a turkey that’s juicy, tender, and delicious?
You don’t have to stop there. Use your gas or charcoal grill to create appetizers, side dishes, and even desserts! In this blog, we’ll show you how to grill a holiday dinner that you’re going to be tempted to replicate all year round.
Roasted Turkey
Once you’ve had grilled turkey, it won’t be the first time. Even if there’s no room for the rotisserie rod on your grill, you can still season the bird with orange zest, salt, pepper, and thyme before stuffing it with crushed garlic and a quartered orange and placing it over the drip pan. Cook at high heat until golden brown all over.
If you want to enhance the flavor, go for some sweet woods like cherry, maple, or apple. For a really bold taste, you can’t go wrong with mesquite, brandy-oak, or whiskey barrel. Surround the turkey with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables, and you’ll know what you’ll be making next year.
Grilled root vegetables
Nothing says Thanksgiving or Christmas like freshly-grilled root vegetables seasoned with thyme and other fresh spices. Cut carrots, potatoes, brussel sprouts, and red onions in uniform sizes (to prevent small pieces from slipping through the grill) and toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Then wrap them in foil or grill them on a pan until evenly browned.
Desserts
If you’re up for some culinary creativity, you can whip up dessert on the grill too. This page has recipes for Tropical S’mores, grilled strawberry shortcake, and grilled chocolate sandwiches. If pumpkin pie is a sacred tradition at your holiday table you can still pop it in the oven, but why not complement it with something you didn’t know you needed until now?
Looking for a new grill?
Maybe you don’t have a BBQ yet, or yours has gotten so old that a campfire could do a better job. At San Diego BBQ, we have state-of-the-art grilling systems that turn any food item into something smoking and sensational. For example:
- Gas Grills: We carry leading gas grill brands like Twin Eagles, Blaze Outdoor and Delta Heat, all of which can make everything from a complete Thanksgiving dinner to a round of hot dogs for the Little League.
- Charcoal Grills: Our leading-edge charcoal grills come from celebrated brands like Twin Eagles, Blaze, Bull & There’s something extra-special about food that’s been prepared over charcoal, so let us help you make a selection you’ve love more than your oven.
- Pellet Smokers: Get ready for adventures in grilling! Our line of pellet smokers combine BBQ tradition with next-generation technology. Our example, our Twin Eagles 36″ pellet grill and smoker has a sleek stainless steel design, three independent temperature probes to monitor multiple dishes at the same time, and WiFi capability so you can conveniently control the grill from your smartphone.
If your grill simply needs a tune-up instead of replacement, the team at San Diego BBQ offers cleaning and repair services that removes and prevents corrosion, gets rid of built-up food, and extends the working life of the grill. Our cleaning products are safe and eco-friendly, and we can source replacement parts for the most unusual grills thanks to our nationwide network of over 100 trusted vendors.
Do You Own a Restaurant?
If you own or manage a restaurant, we offer commercial BBQ maintenance programs that keep your grill in top shape and ensure that you’re ready for those holiday orders.
Your BBQ Specialists Near San Diego
At San Diego BBQ, we offer our award-winning BBQ cleaning and repair services to homeowners and businesses all over the San Diego area. If you want to invest in a new grill for the holiday season or bring your existing one up to par so that it’s ready for your Thanksgiving guests, we can help. We can even design, build, and install a 100% custom BBQ island that turns your background into THE place to be when there’s a celebration.
To learn more, give us a call at 858-346-7922 or 858-780-4243. Happy holidays!
